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Whatever you're selling, you could have trouble getting customers to buy it if your company comes across as the fledgling enterprise it may well be. That's why it often pays to spend money on an image of professionalism and stability, even when cash is tight.

A case in point is Business Information Technology Inc. (BIT), a Wilmington, Del.-based consulting firm that assists Fortune 500 companies and other large organizations in implementing sophisticated payroll and personnel systems -- at a cost of $100,000 to $1 million. President Paul Piper realized from the start that customers weren't going to spend that kind of money unless they had confidence in BIT's ability to deliver. For that reason, he made sure to project the right image in sales calls. Among other things, BIT purchased state-of-the-art equipment for creating video presentations. (The system, called VideoShow, is made by General Parametrics Corp., in Berkeley, Calif., and sells for $4,595.)

"It was one of the best investments we made," says Piper. "We can talk to a prospect one day and show up the next with a customized presentation that looks more professional than anything produced by the customer's own audiovisual department. It helps build confidence and gets the prospect to take a closer look at what we have to offer."